The Making of a Scientist Notes Chapter 6 English Class 10

Author: Robert W. Peterson

Richard H. Ebright was a talented scientist who became famous at a very young age.
At the age of 22, he, along with his college roommate, explained a new theory about how cells work.
His first paper was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (a big achievement for a college student).
His scientific journey started with butterflies.

Ebright grew up in Pennsylvania, USA.
He was the only child; his father died when he was in 3rd grade.
His mother played a very important role in his life.
- She encouraged him to learn.
- She took him on trips, bought him equipment (microscope, telescope, camera).
- She spent time with him and kept him engaged in learning.

Collected butterflies, rocks, fossils, and coins since childhood.
Loved astronomy (star-gazing at night).
By 2nd grade, he had collected all 25 species of butterflies found around his hometown.

His mother gave him a book The Travels of Monarch X.
This book introduced him to the world of science.
It told about migration of monarch butterflies to Central America.
Ebright started helping Dr. Frederick A. Urquhart by tagging butterflies for research.
He even raised monarchs at home to study their life cycle.

In 7th grade, he entered a county science fair but lost.
- His project: showing frog tissues under a microscope.
- He learned that real science means experiments not just displays.
Next year, he did experiments on monarch caterpillars.
Later, he worked on:
- Viral disease in monarchs (8th grade).
- Viceroy butterflies copying monarchs (proved partially true).
- Gold spots on monarch pupa – discovered they release a hormone for butterfly’s growth.

Won many county and international science fair prizes.
Worked at Walter Reed Army Institute and U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratories.
At Harvard, developed a new theory on how cells read the DNA blueprint.
His discoveries may help in understanding life processes and curing diseases like cancer.